Life Lessons from Ma & Pa Ingalls

If you haven’t read the Little House Series as an adult, I highly recommend doing so. They’re full of wisdom and they give a fascinating glimpse into the life of the American pioneer. The Long Winter was especially fascinating to me as they had to endure seven months of blizzards with no supplies coming. This is so far from the life we live today. We’re incredibly spoiled and blessed, but you never know what will happen in the future and this quote from the book really struck me:

“If only I had some grease I could fix some kind of a light,” Ma considered. “We didn’t lack for light when I was a girl, before this newfangled kerosene was ever heard of.”

“That’s so,” said Pa. “These times are too progressive. Everything has changed too fast. Railroads and telegraph and kerosene and coal stoves- they’re good things to have but the trouble is, folks get to depend on ’em.”

Its crazy that they thought kerosene and coal were too progressive. I mean what would they think of our culture today? Would they consider us fools for depending basically 100% on everyone else for our livelihood? Are you prepared to survive without electricity, running water, and the grocery store? It kind of chills me to think of what would happen if we all had to fend for ourselves in this country all of a sudden. I know people would pull through as best as they could, but don’t you think they had a better chance of survival back then when people actually had the knowledge and skills to make it on their own?

Our ancestors had to deal with lots of obstacles, grief, and heartache. In the Little House Series it seems like they suffered one loss and setback after another, but their fighting spirit and unbreakable endurance kept them going. This quote from Little Town on the Prairie has stayed with me:

“The prairie looks so beautiful and gentle,” she said. “But I wonder what it will do next. Seems like we have to fight it all the time.”

“This earthly life is a battle,” said Ma. “If it isn’t one thing to contend with, it’s another. It always has been so, and it always will be. The sooner you make up your mind to that, the better off you are, and the more thankful for your pleasures. Now Mary, I’m ready to fit the bodice.”

I mean could there be any more relevant advice than that? We all have troubles in this world and we always will so it’s better to accept them and be thankful for your blessings. Amen Mrs. Ingalls!

Like I said before I highly recommend reading these books as adults. They’re so full of wisdom!

I love this! Awesome post!!!! I know a woman who reads The Long Winter every December b/c she says "we" have it too easy, and she needs to remember these trials that the Ingalls lived through. Imagine, living a life so well that we have to read about someone else's trials. (Not that my friend doesn't have trials.) I'm just saying, she recognizes how our burdens today are so much different. BTW, I read the entire 9-book series to my kids all last year for our school year. Suddenly, in my heart, I long to read them as an adult (like, now!), so I am going to do it this summer, all to myself, b/c I think there is a lot more to gain from these books the second time around and when we read them for ourselves. I cannot wait!

I read the little house books as an adult (when I was a little girl not all the books were available). I did and do love the books and I sure want to be just like pa and ma Ingalls! All books are on my bookshelves and when ever I need some encouragement I read a chapter!